Does Torture Work?

When the Senate released its so-called "Torture Report" in December 2014 the world would learn that, for years, the CIA had used unimaginably brutal methods to interrogate its prisoners--often without yielding any useful or truthful information. The agency had long and adamantly defended its use of torture, staunchly arguing that it was not only just but necessary for the country's safety. And even amid the revelations of the report, questions abound about whether torture can be considered a justifiable tool of national security. Is interrogational torture an effective method of extracting information? How good does the information extracted need to be for the torture to be considered successful? How often or how vigorously must torture be used to achieve valuable information? It may be the case that interrogational torture can never be justified under any circumstances, but, according to John W. Schiemann, if it is to be justified at all, it must be effective. According to more than one national poll, most Americans do believe that torture can work, and that it can be justified under certain circumstances. But if the information that torturers extract is bad, then the method amounts to nothing more than pure sadism. So, how can we solve the dilemma over whether to torture or not to torture? In this book, John W. Schiemann takes a truly unique approach to the question of torture: game theory. Thinking of torture as a "game" played between an interrogator and a detainee, the book walks the reader through the logic of interrogational torture, comparing the outcomes to the claims made by torture proponents. The book draws on a wide variety of sources ranging from records of the Inquisition to secret CIA memos to trace this logic, illustrating each outcome of the model with a narrative from the real world of interrogational torture. Does Torture Work? is an absorbing and provocative take on one of the most discussed human rights and dilemmas of our time.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures List of Tables Preface Acknowledgments 1. Interrogating Torture 2. Dangerous Torment 3. Benchmarking Interrogational Torture 4. A Quixotic Model of Interrogational Torture 5. A Realistic Model of Interrogational Torture 6. A Brutal Logic 7. A Matter of Calculation 8. Surprise Torture 9. Ambiguous Information and False Confirmation 10. Valuable Information, Selective Torture 11. Torturing Innocents, Resisting Torture 12. Torture's Garden 13. Torture's Confession Postscript Appendices Appendix A: The RIT Model Appendix B: Comparative Statics Analysis Appendix C: Observations and Propositions Notes References Index

About the Author :
John W. Schiemann is Professor of Political Science at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Review :
"Does Torture Work? is a thought-provoking work that generates novel insights and avenues on a controversial topic. It should be required reading for anyone interested in the forces at play in the continuing, and in many ways growing, debate over torture." -- Perspectives on Politics "Does Torture Work? will stand as a foundational text in the continuing effort to set the study of torture on sound scholarly foundations, marking out a new line of social scientific inquiry. Each chapter combines real world examples with clear deductive reasoning, setting aside quixotic and mythical reasoning. Organized for the general educated reader, illuminating for the specialist, and thought-provoking for future scholars testing out Schiemann's propositions." -Darius Rejali, author of Torture and Democracy "John Schiemann actually says something fresh about the issue of torture by a rigorous examination of the game theory underlying the encounter between the torturer and the victim from whom information is being sought. Given that many of the defenses of torture are issued by self-styled 'realists,' this is an important demonstration of the fact that the decision to torture is basically irrational in that it is highly likely to be counter-productive when carefully analyzed (putting to one side the obvious moral objections). His carefully worked out argument deserves wide attention." -Sanford Levinson, editor of Torture: A Collection "John Schienmann's Does Torture Work? is a remarkable book that uses game theory to demonstrate that the negative consequences of torture far outweigh the perceived benefits when evaluating torture's effectiveness. His conclusions are surprising and worthy of inclusion in any substantial discussion of coercive interrogation techniques." -Matthew Alexander, author of Kill or Capture "From the standpoint of a professional mathematics educator, I can see this book being used productively as the springboard for an interesting discussion on the use (and limitations) of game theory. From the standpoint of a citizen, I see this book as raising questions and offering ideas that merit intelligent discussion." --Mathematical Association of America, Mark Hunacek, Iowa State University "Schiemann separates opinion and political position from objective analysis. He presents facts. His case is categorical, magisterial, exhaustive, original, and terribly, tragically sad. He demolishes the liars, partisan, supporters and defenders of torture." -Glenn Carle, author of The Interrogator: An Education